1- Alien Tide

~EARTH~

~Year 2040-

Neon Cooper, the city's favorite but abrasive cop revved to the left alleyway in a black police car. He held the police radio to his mouth.

"FT FT. Plate number XPN-942, Fox Street turned left. I repeat, turned left. Over!"

Neon told his partner, Casper Hughes. Neon was directly behind the fleeing thieves who had just robbed one of the city's banks.

"Goddamn! Wait until I roast your butts!" Neon cussed under his breath, furrowing his thick dark brows. Again, the waves resounded.

"Go north!" Neon instructed Casper.

Neon had a plan in motion, while he chased the thieves, Casper and the other team members would ambush them directly opposite.

As soon as the thieves exited the car shooting in Neon's direction, he was resistant and determined—watching bullets fly beside him.

Tinggg!

Neon hid behind a cemented wall to reload his gun, then chased after the thieves—into the foliage where they sought refuge.

Neon's gun was now reloaded, and he opened fire cautiously.

"Surrender now, buttheads, your time is up!" Neon screamed to pass a warning. He spoke into the police radio, subtly.

"Change of plans, Casper…"

"What?" Casper frowned from his end.

"I repeat, change of plans. Go south, I'll take north instead." Neon said in a hurry.

"Don't fuc—"

"Just do it, Cas!"

Neon disconnected the call and changed his route. He went north, the thieves couldn't figure out where exactly he went but they had a hunch.

Neon intended to divert their attention using the police troops while he caught them off guard.

He navigated his way into the building taking the underground stairway. He slowed and silenced his steps while he approached.

He heard the thieves exchange enraged conversations that were related to the bags of money they had taken.

Neon hid behind a thick metal door, he tossed a small rod in the direction of thieves that led to an abandoned compartment. Just as he had intended, they were startled and suspicious.

"Who's there? Who… the hell is there? Show your shitty face, NOW!" one of them said, confidently.

Neon remained silent, the thieves were heavily weaponized, although Neon was slightly baffled by how they attained such weapons it wasn't his priority at that point.

"…Did you f**king see anyone?" one said to the other

"…Damn you, I saw no one!" the interlocutor replied.

Neon remained hidden until he was sure to surface. Once they had entered the abandoned compartment, Neon spoke up.

"Drop your weapons or you cease to exist!" Neon warned, and his baritone resounded.

"No, you should cease—"

Neon shot at the locks as it automatically jammed, they got trapped.

Ten minutes later, Casper and the other team members surfaced, they met Neon leaning on the wall next to the entrapped compartment of thieves.

"Detective Cooper?!" Casper called out wearing an expressionless face.

"Detective Hughes!" Neon reciprocated the same expression. "They are inside the compartment…" he said and turned to the others, "stay in position!" he instructed.

Casper was infuriated but he tried to suppress it, he hated the fact that he was placed partnered with Neon.

Neon was highly appraised by their city and superiors and it felt like he was following in Neon's shadows.

~

When they returned to the station, the COP (chief of police) appraised him but Casper was against it.

Like every other end of the day, Neon bundled his stuff to leave his office.

"Big ups, Detective Neon!"

Some hollered at him and he demonstrated a peace sign at them.

At the parking lot, Casper approached Neon instantly.

"What was that back there?" Casper groaned angrily, fisting.

"And don't you dare speak to me in that damned manner!" Neon warned, he compressed the anger that he also felt.

He had noticed Casper's ill-treatment towards him, once, they had been bosom friends but it all changed when Neon's career peaked over that of Casper's.

"You don't get to order me around and change plans at any time—"

"I did what I thought was best and besides, it's my call and I handled it well!" Neon declared.

"It's OUR call and not just yours!" Casper said, "You know exactly what I'm talking about." he added scowling at Neon.

"Your tone, Casper!" Neon calmly said turning to his black Mercedes.

Casper chuckled sarcastically, "I get it, you love the damn attention."

"Oh, I love it so damn much!" Neon drew closer smirking, "This should be the last time that you'd ever cross my path.

Neon steered away.

Back at his giant lonely duplex, he had been unmarried for the past five years and it still didn't matter to him. He was used to his lifestyle. Work and fighting criminals.

Neon headed to his living room lazily walking to the sofa. He tossed his bag on the settee and sat, splaying his legs comfortably.

"Welcome home, Mr. Cooper! Did you have a great day binding criminals?!"

His female computerized assistant voiced, Neon chuckled.

"You know the answer to that." he snapped.

"I see. Shall I tell you what's on the list for tonight?"

"Go ahead, Borg." he threw his legs on the couch lying on his back.

"One. Eat steaks for dinner. Two. Twenty minutes run. Three. Drink smoothies."

"Didn't I say you should replace smoothies with Whisky?! Gosh, Borg," Neon complained.

"Haha. I'm also your medical assistant, Mr. Cooper, it's my job to offer my services." Borg reminded.

Neon performed his tasks dutifully, and all he wanted to do was feel the warmth of his sheets.

"Hectic day ahead!" he said under his breath after he had showered.

He was humming to a song that was popular a decade ago while he used a clipper to trim his hair.

The music he had played was loud enough to cause attention but again, he was alone so it didn't matter.

Dooooom!!!!

The thud sound reverberated as the clipper in his right hand fell off.

Neon looked around trying to decipher what had just happened, he was clueless.

He pranced into his balcony and took a peek but he found nothing.

Neon grabbed a sleeping robe and hurried coated himself, he ran out of his room taking with him a gun that was in the form of a Taser.

"Alert! Alert! Alert!"

Borg's computerized tone resounded concurrently.

The apartment was illuminated with blinking red lights as the computerized system warned.

"Mr. Cooper, warning. Warning." Borg said.

"Lock down every entry except the main entrance, I'm gonna go check out!" Neon instructed the automated assistant.

"On it, Mr. Cooper! The lockdown starts in fifteen seconds. 15. 14. 13. 12…"

While his assistant performed her duties, Neon headed out cautiously.

Although the neighborhood seemed right-lipped like every other day, he couldn't fathom where the thud came from.

With his hands tightly wrapped around his gun, Neon slowed his pace in the direction of his backyard where he overhead muffled breathing.

It was unfamiliar.

He had even suspected the intruder to be Casper but it wasn't.

"Show yourself to me, I'm not scared of you!" Neon said looking into the foliage beside his costly duplex.

The more he drew closer, the heavier the breathing persisted.

Turning to his right, where he had noticed a pile of sand unearthed, he looked into the expanse.

He found someone he had never seen. A female. A timid one. Strange grey eyes, partly covered.

She hugged her knees to her chest, breathing heavily.